


I can't stay away

by maria_caskett



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Misunderstandings, New virus spreading AU, Not to worry, Oblivious Jemma Simmons, Oblivious Leo Fitz too, Socially Awkward Fitz, doctor jemma, quarantine au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23237872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maria_caskett/pseuds/maria_caskett
Summary: “I found out that you are a doctor and I figured you wouldn’t have time to go grocery shopping this week. I took what I could before some crazy neighbors emptied the supermarket.I swear I don’t hate you.Fitz”Here's the "a new virus is spreading and everyone needs to quarantine for 30 days/neighbors/enemies to friends to lovers" AU that nobody needed but I had to write.
Relationships: Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 22
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marMAca](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marMAca/gifts).



> As always, I'll start saying that english is not my first language, so please don't judge me too hard for this.  
> Secondly I'll say happy birthday marMAca!!! I hope you like this little piece I put together for you. I think some parts will sound familiar. Love you.

_March 2 nd, 2020_

7 am.

That was when Jemma’s alarm rang every day.

10 minutes later her across the hall neighbor’s alarm rang too (and she heard it pretty loud, given that that their bedrooms shared a wall) and 20 minutes later the old lady upstairs started her coffee pot. Then she’d get up, shower, get dressed and have a healthy yet delicious breakfast.

Every morning she followed the same routine, and every morning she knew she’d meet him at 8 am, when they both opened the front door. She said the same too when their eyes met.

“Good morning”.

Even with a little smile she wasn’t sure he deserved.

As always, he replied mumbling something that resembled “morning” (or so Jemma hopped) while running down the stairs in order to avoid going down in the elevator with her.

That was her neighbor from across the hall, Leopold Fitz, and he hated her.

She had no idea why, but that’s the way it was. He never looked her in the eye (unless it was by accident like it happened in the morning) and always moved around quickly, like he wanted to avoid being alone with her. He hadn’t even introduced himself since she moved from London.

However, he didn’t seem to mind that she kept receiving his mail when he wasn’t home. And he never asked if that was okay. Rude.

But that’s how she learned his name. And maybe after that she had googled him and researched his social media; and found out that he liked to cook, had a PhD in Engineering and was even handsome when he smiled.

But whatever, he hated her, and she wouldn’t let it get to her. That’s why every morning she tried to smile and be polite. She was a civilized adult. She could handle it.

It didn’t bother her.

Not. At. All.

She left for the lab and forgot all about her grumpy neighbor when she arrived.

There was a new virus spreading, and many European countries had gotten their first cases already. They had little time left to investigate it safely in the lab before the hospital required all hands available to step in and tend to the patients.

_March 5 th, 2020_

Jemma arrived at her building at 9 pm, and she was exhausted. News were spreading almost as quick as the new virus, and Jemma’s lab partners had told her that the government was about to announce a mandatory quarantine of at least 30 days. They’d still be allowed to go to work of course, but most of the population would be required to stay at home to reduce the impact of the disease they were fighting.

Those 30 days were going to be long as hell, and she was already so very tired.

She was waiting for the elevator to come down and almost sleeping on her feet when she heard someone coughing quietly behind her.

Oh great. Just what she needed to end her day, an awkward moment in the elevator with her favorite neighbor.

But before she could put on a fake smile and say hi, Leo Fitz had already taken the stairs and run away from her again.

Well. Even better. No awkward elevator small talk today.

Anyway she had to give him the package she’d picked up for him yesterday from the mailman, so he’d have to endure her presence for at least a minute today. So that was the first thing she did, she knocked on his door 3 times loudly, with his damned box in hand.

As soon as he opened the door, he took a step back.

“Please, stay four feet away from the door”

Jemma couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s just… prevention… you know?”

Jemma was shocked. Did he really hate her that much?

“No, I don’t know”

“It’s all over the news, because of that new virus going around… haven’t you heard?”

Oh, she’d heard. She wished she hadn’t though. And even though he was just following the rules, something she deeply admired, she was still crossed.

“I’ve heard, thank you. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“No, of course not, I never said you…”

“Listen, I don’t care. I just wanted to give you this”, she said while shoving the box in his chest and stepping back to give him his 4 feet of security distance, “And you know, maybe you could be kind to me at least when I’m here to give you something the postman left me as if I was your housemaid”

His puppy eyes did nothing to calm her. Right now, all her fatigue had turned to rage.

“I don’t think you are my housemaid, I’m sorry you thought…”

“Oh, so you thought I’d just be happy to get your mail without asking first”.

“I didn’t realize you were picking it up, at least not everything that… ”.

“Right. You thought the Amazon fairy was picking them up”.

“Will you please let me finish? Just once?” he said louder this time. She crossed her arms and made a gesture for him to keep talking. “Most of the time you just leave them at the door, how was I supposed to know it was you? I just thought the mailman was irresponsible and lazy, and he’s very lucky I didn’t fill the complaint letter I was...” He stopped his ranting when he saw her roll her eyes. “You only gave me one box last month. I’m sorry. Okay? My friend Mack used to live there, and he picked up my post every day because I’m not usually at home”.

Well… Some of that made sense. She used to leave his boxes out just before he arrived at 8 pm. He always got home around the same hour. And the friend bit…

“Is that why you hate me? Because your friend left and now I live in his old flat?”

“Wh…what?”

“You heard me”

“I don’t hate you?”

“No? So, you are rude to me because you like me very much?”

She had no idea why, but that made him blush slightly. Probably he was getting mad too.

“Rude to you? When have I… I don’t think… I…”

His nervousness could have been cute if she wasn’t angry with him and tired as hell.

“You know what? I’m too tired for this. You can hate me all you want but be polite and say “good morning” every day like a civilized person”.

With that she turned around and entered her flat, leaving her speechless neighbor behind and only thinking about a shower and a good night’s sleep. She could apologize to him tomorrow morning when she saw him.

_March 6 th, 2020_

When Jemma opened her door at 8 am ready to offer an honest apology to her neighbor for her behavior the night before, she found no pair of blue eyes looking at her.

He wasn’t there.

They had met at 8 am almost every day since she moved. Was he really so angry that he chose to avoid her? She’d heard his alarm clock at 7:10 am, just as any other day. So what? He was going to come out 10 minutes later to avoid seing her?

She was just about to knock on his door when her mobile phone started to buzz with incoming messages. Most of them were from the hospital.

She was already required to work in the ICU.

_March 7 th, 2020_

She wasn’t home.

He had been awake until 1am working on his latest project, and she hadn’t arrived yet. Which was odd but not impossible. But this morning at 7 am her alarm didn’t sound, and now he was worried.

The girl next door had been on the back of his mind for months. Her smile, her english accent, the way she sang so very badly every weekend while she cooked.

But since Thursday night she was on the very front of his mind. She thought he hated her? Really?

He was admittedly shy and kind of awkward. Everyone had always told him so. But that was the reason why he avoided talking to her, so that she wouldn’t be uncomfortable in his presence and kept smiling slightly to him every morning.

But now she had it completely wrong, and he needed to explain himself. Better than he did on Thursday night at least, when she thought he wanted her far away because he hated her. As he had done many times during the morning, he put his ear next to the wall they shared and tried to listen in anything from her flat. But it was pointless. She wasn’t home and the fact that the government had ordered everyone to stay home on a 30 day quarantine, starting yesterday, made that ever weirder.

Maybe she was spending her quarantine at a friend’s house, or a boyfriend’s.

Of course. That was probably it.

He’d have to wait and apologize to her next month when everything calmed down.

He was eating his last frozen lasagna and doing a mental grocery list when his doorbell rang. Mrs. Coughlin, the old lady who lived upstairs... if she was already bored and looking for friends, the next 30 days were going to be terribly long.

“Good evening Mrs. Coughlin, can I help you?”

“Hello dear. Isn’t Jemma home?”

“I’m sorry, who?”

“The girl that lives in front of you, right there”, she said pointing at her door.

Oh. Jemma. So that was her name. Nice.

“No, I don’t think she is. I haven’t heard anything from her since Thursday night”

“Oh poor girl… must be stuck working, with this new virus and all that... She’s a doctor, you know?”

He had asked a doctor if she hadn’t heard about the new virus. Just great.

“I had no idea. Do you want to leave a message?”

 _Please leave her a message_ , he thought. That would be a great excuse for knocking on her door when she came and apologize.

“No, but maybe you can do me a small favor, dear”.

Turned out Mrs. Coughlin needed someone to buy a couple of things for her on the supermarket, since the elderly were expected to stay home at all costs because the new virus was more dangerous for them.

Fitz had no problem with that, as he also had to stock his kitchen properly for the quarantine.

However, he wasn’t prepared for the craziness that greeted him when he entered the supermarket.

_March 8 th, 2020_

People had gone crazy.

It was official.

Her colleagues had shown her videos of people taking everything they could from supermarkets and grocery shops. From meat to custard to toilet paper. And specially toilet paper! What was it with that? Didn’t they know they could clean themselves even better with water and soap? Weren’t they aware that food and water supplies were assured? They weren’t going to die from hunger, they were going to get sick if they didn’t stay home now! And that was just what they weren’t doing.

Jemma was so engrossed with her inner monologue while she went up in the elevator and arrived at her floor, that she almost tripped over the bag that had been left on her doormat. Weird. She hadn't ordered anything.

There was a note attached to it:

“ _I found out that you are a doctor and I figured you wouldn’t have time to go grocery shopping this week. I took what I could before some crazy neighbors emptied the supermarket._

_I swear I don’t hate you._

_Fitz_ ”

She wouldn’t have been able to stop the smile that appeared in her face even if she tried. That was the sweetest thing anyone had done for her in months. And was she blushing? She felt like she was.

With that toothy smile still on, she grabbed the bag and entered her flat. There were vegetables, some beef, a dozen eggs, half a dozen apples and… toilet paper? Did he fight in the supermarket to get her a pack of toilet paper?

Either he was very sorry for his bad attitude or maybe... Maybe he even liked her.

Now she was definitely blushing.

_March 9 th, 2020_

It was 7 am when his phone ringed with an incoming text message.

That meant he just woke up 10 minutes before his alarm rang, which was the best way to start a crappy day. It was probably his boss asking why he wasn’t already working online; he had gotten even more demanding since they were working from home. Grumbling, he reached for the phone.

And he almost dropped it when he read the screen.

_“Thank you so much for yesterday’s gesture. Your apples saved my breakfast today, and from what I’ve seen in the news, the toilet paper is this year’s most valued gift._

_I might have started to believe that you don’t hate me… that much._

_Jemma Simmons._

_P.S.: I got your phone number from the mailman, who is starting to become my dearest friend in the city”_.

His heart was beating so hard it felt like it was trying to fly.

She asked for his number (even though not directly) and texted him. Now he had her number. Did she wanted him to text her? Would she find that creepy? Maybe she wouldn’t even read it before she got home…

He got up at once considering his next move, and after 5 minutes of thinking over the best answer he typed:

_“You are welcome. I’d be happy to get anything else you need when I go down to do my own grocery shopping. The toilet paper cost me a couple of scratches, but it was worth it._

_What else could I do to make you believe I don’t hate you?_

_Fitz.”_

Her next message arrived at 1pm. It looked like it wouldn't be such a crappy day after all.

_March 18th, 2020_

Every day at 8 pm, people came out to their balconies or windows and clapped. It was an ovation destined to all the people who worked in the health system and were saving lives and treating the infected.

Every day Fitz got out at 7:40 pm to breath after he’d had dinner. He didn’t even have a chair in his tiny balcony, he came out and leaned on the railing just to relax a bit after his workday at home. And that’s where he was when his lovely neighbor decided to interrupt.

“Hey!” he heard from his left side. Fitz was so concentrated, and the street was so quiet, that he couldn’t help but jump a bit.

“Relax”, Jemma said smiling mischievously, “Our balconies are already 4 feet away, you don’t need to get any further”

Oh, she was teasing him. She was in a good mood today.

“I’ve already apologized for that”

“I know. And I’ve already apologized for not respecting that very intelligent measure when I was angry”

“I know”, Fitz said and smiled slightly. In the weeks they had been talking he had started to notice that when he smiled, she blushed a little bit, and he found it endearing.

“Thanks for the extra chocolate cookies in yesterday’s grocery bag, by the way”.

He had continued to buy the groceries she needed, but now she sent him a list and paid him in advance. Anyhow he had gotten used to sneak in her bag something sweet that would make her happy. It made him happy too.

“I knew you’d like them, they are my favorite”, he said, “How was work today? No luck at being allowed in the lab again?”

He had learned that she was a neurologist, but she also had a PhD in Biochemistry, so she worked investigating in the lab unless she was needed in the ICU or in the Emergencies floor. Right now, with the cases of the new virus taking over the ICU she rarely had any time in the lab.

“Oh no. All day working Emergencies”

“I’m sorry to hear that. And anything exciting happening at the hospital? C’mon give something. I’m trapped here all day”

“Well, I punched a superior in the face”, she said nonchalantly.

At that, Fitz stood there surprised, looking at her with his mouth open.

“I’m not the best at social interactions, but even I know that you should have said that a little bit more concerned”.

Jemma smiled and looked at him before she answered.

“He was trying to get the nurses to tend to the infected people without masks! He said they were too valuable and that we should keep them for when the situation was worse. But Fitz, they can’t help anyone if they can’t even protect themselves. So, I punched him in the face while my friend snuck in and grabbed the masks they needed”, she finished proudly.

“Wow. Had you ever done anything like that before?”

“Nope. But I like following the rules”, she replied shrugging.

“I guessed so”, he replied smiling and earning a bright smile from her.

That was the moment the ovation started. From all the windows and balconies, families were coming out and clapping happily, even whistling. He could hear some music from the building next door, but the streets were completely empty. Fitz started clapping too, as he did everyday at 8 pm.

And when he looked at Jemma again, she was already looking at him.

And she was still smiling.

_March 21 st, 2020_

Jemma woke up late on Friday morning. It was 12:30 pm.

She’d had a late-night shift and arrived home at 5 am. That’s why she had been sleeping up until one of her neighbors had seen fit to get out and play the trumpet in the balcony. It really was pretty sweet as some families were out in their own balconies cheering and clapping with their children. They needed things like that to keep them entertained and it helped the neighborhood with their need for social activity.

But she was so tired… Let’s just say she’d be happy if something bad happened to that trumpet.

However, it was also nice to hear something joyful for a change. Things in the hospital were pretty bad… They didn’t have beds and respirators for everyone that came in, and they’d already registered 32 deaths. And it looked like things were only going to get worse next week.

That’s why she had all day to eat, rest, and brace up again to be ready to start another 24-hour shift tomorrow morning. Everyone had to be strong enough to keep fighting.

When she went out to cook herself breakfast, she realized that she hadn’t gotten her bag of groceries from Fitz yesterday; possibly because he didn’t know when she was arriving and had it stored in his flat. That’s how she found herself knocking on his door for the third time with no answer.

She didn’t think he was grocery shopping, because he said he’d go yesterday…Maybe he was still sleeping? No, his boss was a nightmare, he wanted everyone online at 8 am. She was starting to consider that he might have gotten tired of her when she heard coughing from the other side of the door. And it didn’t sound very good.

“Fitz?”

“Jemma, please… Stay four feet away from the door”, said a very weakened version of Fitz’s voice.

When he opened the door wrapped in a blanket, handkerchief in hand and his nose as red as Rudolf’s, Jemma felt as if the air had been knocked out of her lungs.

Oh no.

Not him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, many of the things I mentioned in the fic are things that are happening here in Spain:  
> \- People are going crazy and buying EVERYTHING they can from the supermarkets. And the toilet paper? That's a real fight.  
> \- We are coming out to our balconies every day at 8 pm to applaud the doctors, nurses and assistants that are giving their everything to help us get through this.  
> \- On March 19th our musics went out and played popular songs on their balconies to honor a festivity that has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 crisis.  
> \- And everyday the numbers of infected, at risk, and dead people are increasing.  
> So please, stay safe everyone, and stay home! Not just for you, but for the rest of us. 
> 
> I really hope you liked it! And I promise, next chapter will be up as soon as possible :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me this long to write this! I wanted to finish this story sooner but my Fitzsimmons had a mind of their own and the storyline kept getting longer. I even had to add another chapter! But don't worry, that one is already written. 
> 
> I really hope you like this!

_March 21 st, 2020_

“No. No, no, no. This can’t be happening”

Fitz was in front of her wrapped up in a blanket, which meant he already had a fever.

“Jemma relax, I’m fine, I just…”

His voice sounded rough, which meant his vocal cords were swollen, as would be his bronchi soon, and then…

“It could be just a cold, you don’t have to worry right now” he tried again, trying to sound much better than he probably felt.

“Of course I worry, you have no idea the things I’ve…”, Jemma said mumbling and taking a step back to stop herself from reaching for him. “Tell me your symptoms”

Fitz rolled his eyes at her, even though he had a small smile playing on his lips.

“I woke up at 7am, coughing. My throat feels rough and I think I might be a little hot. That’s it Jemma, I swear, it could be an ordinary cold. I don’t think I have difficulty breathing”, he said while trying to demonstrate it inspiring deeply… only to end up in a fit of coughs.

“I see, totally normal”. It was Jemma’s turn to roll her eyes. “Any previous medical condition?”

“Mmm… I don’t think so, no”.

“Okay, look”, she started seriously, “the only thing that gives me pause, is that I can see your nose is red, which means you’ve got a runny nose. That’s the only symptom that would make me think it could really be just a cold. But just in case, this is what we’re going to do: you are going to go back to bed and rest, and don’t exert yourself physically, and I mean that. Don’t go anywhere but the bathroom and maybe the kitchen, but only when it’s necessary”.

Fitz was still watching her with a little smile playing on his lips, and she continued even more serious.

“Fitz please don’t be stubborn; your lungs need rest and you need to be patient and stay home at all costs. Am I clear? On the meantime, I’ll go grocery shopping for a change and cook you something nutritious”, she finished, proud of her plan.

“You look beautiful when you’re being bossy” Fitz said with red cheeks and bright eyes.

Jemma felt something fluttering in her stomach.

“Yes, and you’re adorable when you’ve a fever, but now’s not the time for compliments”.

Fitz smiled sadly while he nodded and turned back to go inside. He seemed dejected.

“I’ll be right here if you need anything, okay?” Jemma said, trying to sound encouraging

But she only heard a mumbled “yeah” before he shut the door.

Weird.

Did she say anything wrong?

_March 21 st, 2020_

Adorable.

That’s what she said.

Not lovely. Not even cute. Adorable, like a teddy bear.

Was this how being frienzoned felt? Or was he just overthinking because of the fever? Whatever it was, he felt like shit.

Jemma was the most remarkable, intelligent, beautiful person he’d ever met. He’d be crazy if he didn’t like her. If he thought she was pretty when she got to the building, now that he knew how brilliant she was he was falling hard for her. 

But that was the problem. Falling for her wasn’t difficult, it was the most natural thing in the world. But Jemma falling for him… Well. That was completely different. He was awkward, he had a bad temper, and he didn’t think he was especially handsome. She had never shown signs that she liked him that way and calling him “adorable” only made him feel worse about it.

Anyway, he’d probably see things different when his fever went down a bit. She was his friend, probably the best he had right now, and he wanted her in his life in anyway he could have her. And speaking about said girl, it had been hours and she hadn’t come back. Fitz took his phone from his bedside table. It was already 4 pm.

Maybe she was angry that he’d closed the door so abruptly and thought he was being rude again. He had just started writing an apology text when he heard the door open.

When 10 seconds passed and no one said anything, Fitz began to get anxious. Having someone steal his flat while everyone was quarantined and he was in bed sick would be the cherry on top of this shitty day.

“Jemma?”, he tried to shout with his weak voice.

He heard steps approaching his room and looked at the door expectantly. When a figure appeared, covered in some sort of white boiler suit that covered it from head to shoes, with plastic glasses as big as diving goggles and a face mask, he almost had a heart attack.

Fitz tried to get up as fast as he could but fell to the floor and started coughing with the effort. The figure approached him fast and was trying… was… He didn’t know what it was doing,

That was when he focused enough to hear her.

“Fitz please. It’s me, it’s Jemma”

She was kneeling next to him and holding his shoulders. He raised his head at that and tried to look past the enormous plastic glasses and face mask, and found the most beautiful worried brown eyes he’d ever seen.

“Jemma” he said, starting another fit of coughs.

She put an arm on his back and started rubbing it.

“Relax and breath through your nose. You weren’t coughing when I got here, so your lungs are still functioning perfectly. You are just shocked, please relax, it’s me. I’m sorry, I’m sorry”.

When he stopped coughing, he felt dizzy and the pain cursing trough his chest and abdomen was unbearable. He couldn’t help but lean his head on her shoulder and close his eyes willing it to pass soon. She wrapped both arms around him and held him against her.

Fitz would probably be mortified later, but in that moment, he just enjoyed her proximity. Even through all the layers between them.

“This isn’t how I imagined the first time I hugged you”, he said weakly.

That made her laugh.

“No, me neither. I thought there would be less layers between us”

For a couple of seconds, he froze. When she noticed what she’d said she spoke even faster than she normally did.

“I mean because of the protection suit! I didn’t mean…”

Of course she didn’t.

“No worries. I just found your comment funny” Fitz said trying to reassure her while his heart broke in even smaller pieces. “Were you planning on killing me before the virus had a chance?”

He heard her laugh beneath her protection mask.

“Have you seen the news for even one day since the quarantine started? How is it possible that you had no idea what a protection suit looked like?”

While she talked, she had helped him get up and in bed again. The only thing that his fevered mind could think at the moment was that she was surprisingly strong.

“I knew, I just didn’t expect to see it here”

Jemma was seated in his bed by his hip, checking his temperature with a gloved hand on his temple, and this wasn’t how he had imagined her in his bed for the first time either. Not that he’d tell her anytime soon, his fever wasn’t that high.

“I’m so sorry I scared you that much. I know it’s kind of creepy” she said pointing to her suit and mask “But it’s the only way I could get in here without risking my health and therefore my patient’s. I went to the hospital to get it, that’s why I came so late. I’m sorry” she repeated.

“It’s okay Jemma, I promise”, he said weakly, his eyes falling closed.

“Rest while I heat some soup for you, okay?”

He felt himself humming his assent before falling asleep.

And maybe someone caressing his hair.

_March 21 st, 2020_

It was 10 pm and Jemma was in the shower scrubbing herself clean.

She’d been at Fitz’s flat all day, cooking so that he had food ready for the next couple of days, and taking care of him. He didn’t look like he was going through a severe case of the respiratory virus, which meant he wouldn’t need an oxygen mask or a ventilator. But he wasn’t going through just a cold either. His fever had gone down a bit in the afternoon, but he was fast asleep again by 9 pm, which probably meant his temperature was high again.

She was worried for him.

But… was she a horrible person if she had felt also a little bit happy to be able to be that close?

They had been talking every day for almost 2 weeks. If things were normal, she would have asked him out a week ago. But things weren’t normal, and she’d never even held his hand.

Until today, when she’d been able to hold him in her arms and it had felt so good.

Even if she suspected he didn’t think about her that way. He’d been so uncomfortable when she made that comment about the layers… She should be more careful. He had told her himself that he was usually awkward around new people and found it hard to make friends, and she’d felt incredibly bad for making it more difficult for him with that comment. She didn’t want to risk the friendship they had created these weeks. Even if it hurt her that he only saw her as a friend.

When she was sure she was thoroughly clean, she got out of the shower. 

She just wanted to take a quick bite and go to bed, she needed to be well rested for tomorrow’s 24-hour shift.

_March 22 nd, 2020_

It was 2 am and she couldn’t go back to sleep.

And the reason why was having a coughing fit less than 6 feet away, the wall between them as thin as a pancake.

Sighing, she threw the blanket away and got up to sit at the edge of the bed. It really wasn’t the noise; she had earplugs and could sleep with them without problems. But what if she put on the earplugs and Fitz suffocated in the middle of the night without no one noticing it? He could need someone and call for help. It was a bit overdramatic, but it could happen.

Gently, she knocked 3 times on the bedroom wall they shared.

“Fitz? Are you okay?”

Another round of coughs sounded before she heard his weak response.

“I’m still alive. I’m sorry to be bothering you Jemma”

His voice sounded muffled trough the wall, but she could make out the words perfectly.

“Don’t worry, you are sick it’s not your fault”

“I’m sorry anyway. I could lend you my earphones if you want. I’ll throw them from my balcony, and you can disinfect them, right?”

She smiled; he was so sweet.

“No, no, there’s no need. I just…” I just need to know you are fine, and breathing, and if it could be in my arms that would be even better. Those are some of the things she wanted to say, but she didn’t want to seem weird, so she just finished “I just worry”.

“I understand, but…”

He had stopped talking. That was weird. But then her phone buzzed with a text:

> 2:11, Fitz: “I just heard Mrs. Coughlin get up. Better not talk that loud or she’ll come down to see what’s up”
> 
> 2:11, Jemma: “She can’t get out of her flat, we’re quarantined”
> 
> 2:12, Fitz: “Yeah, like that would stop her”

Jemma heard him coughing again and then another message arrived:

> 2:13, Fitz: “I have an idea. Why don’t you put on your earplugs and leave your phone in your hand? I’ll call you if I need you and you’ll feel it buzzing”

It was a good idea. As much as she wished she could sleep next to him to monitor his breathing properly (and maybe to caress his hair again while he slept), she couldn’t. She had already risked the infection once today; she shouldn’t do it again.

> 2:14, Jemma: “Fine, that’s a good idea. But promise me you’ll call if you need anything. ANYTHING.”
> 
> 2:14, Fitz: “I promise. Now go to sleep”.

She heard another fit of coughs before she put her right earplug on and before she could regret it, she sent another text.

> 2:17, Jemma: “I hope you know that if being by your side all night made it better, I’d already be there.”

_March 22 nd, 2020_

Was it possible to feel happy at 5am with your throat as dry as the desert and your body hurting as if a truck had run over it a couple of times today?

Turned out, it was. Fitz had already read Jemma’s last text a hundred times and each one made his heart stutter. Was she just being friendly? It didn’t feel like she’d said something like that out of pity... What should he answer to that? Should he even answer?

He had no idea what to say, he was drained, and words weren’t coming to him. At last his coughing had stopped a little, so he should try and sleep before it came again.

With his phone in hand and a smile on his face, he finally went to sleep.

_March 22 nd, 2020_

Jemma was exhausted, physically and psychologically.

The ICU was already full of patients, the Emergencies were almost collapsed, and a couple of her colleagues were sick at home, so they were working with less people than they should. And last night’s late texting with her unexpected weekend patient didn’t help matters either.

However, she wasn’t scared of hard work, even with little sleep; medical stuff was methodical and clear. However, watching her patients cry, alone in their rooms with no family allowed, and not being able to offer them a hug or a smile, that was the worse.

People dying with no one next to them, and not being able to speak with their families and offer them some comfort, that was the worse.

Tending to the old woman of 78 years old, that had been given an oxygen mask because they had to give the last ventilator to a younger person, and would probably not make it through the night, that was the worse.

It was 7 pm. She had been working from 8 am non-stop, and right now she needed to eat something and let her mind rest, just for a minute. And that’s how she found herself alone in the lockers’ room, seated on the floor and eating a less than appetizing turkey sandwich from the vending machine. She only had 15 minutes. How was she supposed to get her strength back with 15 minutes and a cold sandwich?

When her time was up, she opened her locker to check her phone really quick. She had a ton of messages from group chats that she’ll probably ignore, a couple of texts from her father and 5 messages from Fitz.

He wasn’t coughing when she got up that morning, and there were no missed calls or messages from him, so she supposed he was finally sleeping. Still, he had no idea that she woke up with enough time to dress up in her protection suit, snuck into his flat to check his pulse and temperature, disinfect herself and go to work. That’s why she hadn’t been worried about him all day, because the worse was already over. She hoped she hadn’t been wrong about it.

> 12:04, Fitz: “I know. We’re lucky it happened this way, because if things were reversed, I don’t think I would have been responsible enough to stay away from you”.
> 
> 12:04, Fitz: “I just woke up and I’m feeling much better”
> 
> 12:04, Fitz: “Thank you for taking care of me yesterday. Please, be careful today”
> 
> 12:17, Fitz: “My fridge is full of delicious food even though I’m pretty sure I didn’t cook yesterday. Thanks again”
> 
> 18:36, Fitz: “I just saw the news; they say things are getting ugly over there. Stay strong”

When she got to the last message, she read the first again. And again. Maybe she read it 10 times. Or 20. And each time made her smile grow bigger and her heart beat faster. After reading it one last time and sending a quick reply (3 heart emojis and a reminder that he should check his temperature every hour), she put her phone back in the locker and her glasses and mask back on. Who said you couldn’t get your strength back in 15 minutes? With the way her heart was beating, she felt like she could run a marathon.

_March 24 th, 2020_

A couple of days had gone by and Fitz was already feeling much better. Yesterday, his temperature had been a little high most of the day. Jemma had insisted he took his temperature every hour and he’d joked if she also wanted a chart with the data (she’d sent him a very rude emoji and a laughing one as a reply). In fact, he was working on that chart, just to make her laugh again, even if he couldn’t see it.

Turned out a hotel next to the hospital had opened their doors to the medical stuff, so she would be sleeping there for now. She hoped to stay there for 2 or 3 days at most, but he saw the news every day and suspected it would be a bit longer. Every day the number of infected and dead people increased, and he was worried sick that she could be infected because of him, even though she had been wearing a complete protection equipment when she’d come near. 

He texted her whenever he could to make sure she was still okay, even though she only replied a couple of times each day. She sounded more drained in each message he got, but he found himself unable to do anything to cheer her up.

Just let her know that she was strong enough to get through this and that he was still there.

_March 31 th, 2020_

10 days had already gone by since he went through what seemed to be his peak day of infection, and he only had to wait 5 more days to be able to go out and at least make his own shopping. He’d been getting it delivered to his front door in order to stay inside, because unfortunately he hadn’t seen Jemma for the same amount of time.

She was still sleeping in the hotel and would be for a couple more days. He tried not to get his hopes up, because he knew she’d stay there as long as it was necessary. However, talking to her in the balcony had been his favorite moment of the day before he got sick. And he missed. He missed her.

It was already 7:45 pm, and neighbors were starting to come out to their balconies, greeting each other. A couple of children from his building shouted and said hello to the friends that lived in the other side of the street, and a woman was hanging up a giant crocheted rainbow in her window. Loud music filled the street. The neighborhood became alive.

He got out his phone and started recording a couple of minutes before the whole street started clapping and cheering. It was the only time of the day that neighbors saw each other, that children could talk as loud as they wanted, that people who lived alone like him saw other human beings. The only thing that had been missing for a while was Jemma clapping and smiling in the balcony 5 feet away from his.

He recorded every minute of applause, hoping it would help cheering her up, at least for a little bit. Music was still sounding when he sent her the video:

> 20:09, Fitz: “Just so you can see a little bit of the lives you are saving outside of the hospital. This is for you; you are a hero”.

He stayed on the balcony for a while, with his arms resting on the railing, enjoying the last sun rays of the day and the cheerfulness of the street. And before he got inside, he felt his phone buzzing:

> 20:14, Jemma: “Thank you I love it.”
> 
> 20:15, Jemma: “And you, staying home and keeping all of them safe from the infection, are the real hero”

Fitz felt his cheeks redden. She was the only person in the world that could get a response like that out of him with just a text, even with just a smile.

Later, when the sun was nowhere to be seen and the street was quiet again, Fitz was still in his balcony, looking at his phone and smiling.

_April 4 th, 2020_

It was 6 pm when he heard her door close.

The number of infected people had been going down slowly this week, and although they still had to stay home, he’d seen some doctors in the news saying that they were starting to see the light. It made sense she was back at last.

Fitz was on his feet the moment he heard her door, but… What was he going to do? It had been 2 weeks since he had been sick, but he could still be contagious, so she probably wouldn’t appreciate him coming anywhere close. Also, she could have knocked on his door to tell him she was already here, he’d thought she would…

Maybe she was tired and needed rest, that was understandable. He could text her tomorrow to see if she needed anything and maybe talk to her in the balcony for a while in the afternoon if she was up to it. 

However, that didn’t stop him from feeling a little bit rejected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was interesting... is Jemma okay? Could it be that she's just tired? I wouldn't be so sure, because I love angst and I know my sister needs it to feed her soul xD 
> 
> But come back tomorrow for the last chapter because I did promise a happy ending :D
> 
> Also I want to say that I'm not a doctor and everything I know about coronavirus' symptoms and treatment is what I see in TV and social media, so I'm deeply sorry if I got something important wrong, I didn't have time for a lot of researching. I'm just writing for fun, and what I enjoy the most is writing Fitsimmons' dialogues. 
> 
> Stay home and stay strong everyone!
> 
> And don't forget lo leave kudos and comments if you have the time! They feed my soul!! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... last chapter everyone! Time to discover what has been going on with Jemma. I really hope you like it!!!

_April 5 th, 2020_

> 8:03, Fitz: “Did I hear you come home yesterday afternoon at last? If not let me tell you Mrs. Coughlin has been sleeping in your flat”.
> 
> 10:06, Jemma: “Yep, that was me. No need to call the police yet xD”
> 
> 10:08, Fitz: “I’m really glad you are back”

_April 6 th, 2020_

> 11:15, Fitz: “I’m going to the supermarket, I’m finally allowed to go out again! Do you need anything?”
> 
> 16:09, Jemma: “Sorry Fitz I didn’t see your text ‘til now. I’ve got enough for a couple more days, thanks”
> 
> 16:10, Fitz: “Don’t worry”

_April 7 th, 2020_

Fitz was going crazy.

He’d thought once Jemma came back, they would… he could… Well, he doesn’t know what he’d thought, but it wasn’t this.

She was ignoring his text messages and calls, and even when she answered she sounded… so cold. Had he been wrong this entire time? Had he imagined things during his sickness?

Maybe he had mistaken her friendliness for… something else.

_April 8 th, 2020_

When her phone buzzed again three times in a row, Jemma reached for it with one hand. She wasn’t planning on answering; she just needed to be sure it wasn’t anything urgent.

It was her father again, asking if she was fine.

She had been 2 hours or so lying down on her bed, looking at the ceiling. Was that being fine? Probably not. If she thought she was tired 2 weeks ago, she had no idea what was coming to her.

She was drained.

She felt like she needed to be left alone, just a few days, just the amount of time necessary to deal on her own with everything that had gone down the last few weeks. And maybe having someone by her side to reassure her and hold her would have been good for her… but the someone she wanted was probably contagious and therefore unavailable, so she was on her own.

She had been given at last one free day on April 4th, and she had resembled a corpse more than a living person when she arrived home. Her face had been bruised and swollen from being all day with the protection equipment around her head. And what was worse, she’d felt like she’d never be able to smile again; not even if Fitz sent her one of those texts that had sent her heart into a frenzy a week ago.

When she opened her door, she dropped her bag on the sofa and went straight to bed; she slept for 13 hours. When she woke up the next day, she felt much better physically, but still… empty.

She had lost more patients in 2 weeks than she’d lost in a year. And she’d wanted to be close to all of them: to know their names, if they had a family or how they were holding up each day. But that hadn’t been possible; she had been a pair of eyes behind a mask, and some names she would never know…

She had lost many patients since she became a doctor, but she’d never seen something as horrible as this. And now, she needed time to mourn all of them before she could be herself again.

_April 9 th, 2020_

> 9:45, Fitz: “Good morning! Woke up early to run to the store for a couple of things I forgot the other day and I left you a bag with some supplies and an extra bag of chocolate cookies by your door”
> 
> 9:46, Fitz: “I wore a mask and gloves all the time, I promise 😊”
> 
> 22:30, Jemma: “Thanks. I’m currently at the hospital but I’ll get them tomorrow”

_April 10 th, 2020_

> 16:05, Fitz: “Guess who just came down and asked if I wanted a cup of coffee”
> 
> 16:06, Fitz: “Yep, Mrs. Coughlin”
> 
> 16:06, Fitz: “I told her I had been sick last week, and that seemed to scare her away”
> 
> 18:02, Jemma: “She’s very lucky if she didn’t hear you coughing your lungs out last month in the middle of the night”
> 
> 18:04, Fitz: “Or very deaf”

_April 11 th, 2020_

> 10:15, Fitz: “I just saw the news and they’re saying the number of cases is decreasing! I hope it’s the same in your hospital!”
> 
> 21:20, Jemma: “Yeah, we’ve got proper lunch breaks again”
> 
> 21:24, Fitz: “Yay. I’ll buy you some extra cookies next week to help get your strength back”

_April 12 th, 2020_

> 13:27, Fitz: “Hey! I’ve finally been able to walk up the stairs without getting out of breath!
> 
> 22:01, Jemma: “That’s great!”
> 
> 22:05, Fitz: “Yep, for my lungs it is, my legs hate me right now”

_April 13 th, 2020_

> 19:36, Fitz: “Are you coming out to the balcony to applaud today? I haven’t seen you in a while”
> 
> 20:23, Jemma: “I’m sorry Fitz, I was busy. Maybe next week”

_April 15 th, 2020_

> 20:04, Fitz: “Jemma, is everything okay?”

_April 20 th, 2020_

He had only received one text all day:

> 19:02, Jemma: “Fitz, will you meet me in the balcony in 20 minutes?”

He had been reading it for a while, but he hadn’t been able to answer yet. He had stopped texting 4 or 5 days ago, after getting absolutely no response. Not even an “ok”.

He’d seen the number of infected and dead people had decreased heavily, and he’d heard her come home almost every day, so he’d thought things were better. He’d sent her messages almost every day, most of them trying to make her smile, some asking how things were going at the hospital; and the last one of them asking if everything was okay.

But he was intelligent enough to know when someone didn’t want to talk to him. And every time she read his texts and didn’t answer for hours hurt more than being punched.

So, he had stopped texting.

He had no idea what went wrong and a hundred different scenarios plagued his mind everyday: he had overstepped with a message, she had read his message about not being able to stay away and had gotten scared, she had realized she was leading him on because she wasn’t as interested as he seemed, she met someone else, she was leaving the building, she was angry at him for getting sick and not seeking proper help, she hated his chocolate cookies… They went on and on.

And now she had been the one to text and he’d felt his heart come back to life as if it hadn’t been crushed last week each time he heard her door open and his doorbell stayed silent.

He was pathetic.

15 minutes had passed since he’d read the message, and another one appeared in the screen.

> 19:16, Jemma: “Please Fitz, we need to talk”

She probably felt bad for not answering, but he really didn’t need to be let down gently, he’d gotten the hint. So, he answered.

> 19:16, Fitz: “There’s nothing to talk about”

And almost immediately got a reply:

> 19:17, Jemma: “Maybe there is”

His traitorous heart jumped again, as if he hadn’t learned anything these last weeks.

_April 20 th, 2020_

He wasn’t coming out. Of course he wasn’t.

Jemma was in her balcony, elbows on top of the railing and head in her hands. She had not answered him for days now, and the days she had answered… she had not been very friendly. Even her parents, who talked to her once every couple of months, realized last week that she was not her usual self.

And yesterday, when she had felt good enough to answer to Fitz’s last message, she’d been too ashamed to do it. She couldn’t stop thinking that she should have done it sooner, that he would never read it now. And that was why she had asked him to meet her, so that she could explain in person. If he didn’t come out now, she would have to knock on his door until he got tired and opened it… even if it were just to apologize. She hoped he would not call the police…

“Hi”

Jemma raised her eyes to look at the balcony next to hers. A little smile found its way to her face. He came out.

“Hi” she said quite more hopeful than she had felt a minute ago.

She was so happy to see him in person again; she had almost convinced herself she had lost him. He was looking at her seriously, even though his eyes were shining just like she supposed hers were. He looked tense, hands in his pockets; and he was standing just outside, awfully close to his door, as if he wanted to escape as fast as possible. She missed the days when he would lean his arms on the left side of his balcony rail to be closer to her own.

A mix of “Are you okay?” and “I’m so sorry” sounded when they tried to break the silence at the same time. Fitz lowered his face and rested his left shoulder against the balcony door.

“Let me talk first please” she said, waiting for him to look at her before she apologized. When his bright blue eyes met hers again, she continued. “I’m sorry. I should have answered your text the other day and… I shouldn’t have left you alone these weeks. I’m sorry Fitz”.

He stayed silent, looking down at the balcony floor.

“Why didn’t you answer?”, he said quietly after almost 20 endless seconds of silence, his voice so broken she wished she never heard it.

“The two weeks I didn’t sleep here were incredibly hard at the hospital Fitz. I’ve never seen that level of pain, of loneliness… We worked 30-hour shifts in order to help as many people as possible, every couple of days we lost a colleague that had tested positive and had to stay home, and…” Jemma stopped to take a deep breath and calm herself. This was hopefully behind them all, but she still remembered every face she helped… and every face she could not save. “I don’t know what they have been saying in the news but… It’s been rough”.

When she glanced at him again, he looked worried and pained, and she wished she could wipe that look from his face; or at least that she hadn’t been the one to put it there.

“Jemma I... I saw that in the news. Well not everything but I knew about the number of deceased people increasing every day. But I just thought… I thought when you finally came back, it would mean that everything was… better”

Jemma smiled sadly.

“And you are right, I came back when the situation was better, but… I wasn’t. Those weeks left me… not okay. I didn’t want to talk to anyone… I ate just because I knew I had to, and I mostly stayed in bed when I was home. I was exhausted beyond any level I’ve ever experienced, I needed time to rest and heal… by myself” she finished lowering her head again. She knew it might not have been the best, but it was what she felt she needed at the moment.

“I’m sorry Jemma. I wish… I wish you’d said something so that I could have been there for you”, she heard Fitz say calmly.

She felt her heart beat harder.

“Well that’s another reason why I didn’t tell you” she answered with a small smile. “I was afraid if I told you what I was going through and you came knocking on my door, I would have been the one not responsible enough to stay away from you this time”.

She saw his confused frown being replaced by a little smile, and then his blush covering his neck and cheeks, and it was the most beautiful thing she’d seen all week. Those words had warmed her heart so much… she just hoped they meant as much for him as they did to her.

“Now I wish you’d told me even more than I did before” he answered, finally leaning on the left side of his balcony rail so that he was looking straight at her, and that sight alone made her feel as if half the weight she had been carrying around since the beginning of April had been lifted. “No but really… I was just worried. I thought maybe you…” he looked down again.

“Maybe I?” she inquired.

“I don’t know, that I was… making things up” he lifted his eyes to hers again and took a deep breath before he continued, “That I knew how I felt and I was assuming you felt the same, but maybe you didn’t”.

He felt something for her. She’d thought so but it was wonderful to hear it from him; she felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her chest.

“You didn’t make anything up” she said smiling, making Fitz look at her adoringly. She saw his hands gripping the balcony rail as if he would jump to meet her if he let go, and said what was probably in both their minds right now. “You have no idea how I wish I could be next to you right now, even if I had to wear that awful protection suit again”

He beamed at her, until a suspicious look appeared on his face.

“Wait, did you make me come to the balcony instead of knocking on my door like a normal person because you didn’t trust me to keep my contagious hands to myself?”

She laughed, maybe for the first time that month.

“Of course not. It was me I didn’t trust.”

Fitz smiled at her so brightly she felt as if she was looking at the sun itself, and before he could answer, clapping started coming from all around them and she realized they weren’t alone anymore, all of the balconies around them were now full of color and life. She saw Fitz joining the applause while still looking at her and she followed.

It was 8 pm, and she did not remember the last time she felt as light as she felt now.

_April 25 th, 2020_

It was 4 pm.

Fitz had been sitting in the stairs of the building for about 10 minutes now, but Jemma’s shift was supposed to end at 3:30 pm and he wanted to be there when she arrived.

He was so excited he got up and started pacing the hall between his door and Jemma’s. He had with him the new rules of the State of Alarm printed. They had just been published by the government in the official website and he couldn’t wait to show her.

They had been meeting in their respective balconies every day since they talked, and he felt more alive than he’d ever felt in those moments. But seeing her every day and not being able to hold her hand, hug her, kiss her… It was making him go crazy.

“Fitz?”

He jumped when he heard her voice unexpectedly, and turned around to answer.

“Hi, Jemma, hey”

He wished he could take a couple of steps towards her and kiss her already, but there was no one in the world more committed to health measures than her. He needed to present his case, and he had proof ready. She stood in front of her door, smiling, seemingly delighted to see him.

“Hi. What are you doing out here? What’s that?” she asked pointing at the sheets in his hand.

He took a small step towards her in order to hand her one of the papers he’d been holding.

“I’m not sure you know, but the government announced today we can start introducing an attenuation of the preventive measures against the new virus” he said excitedly. She was looking at him eagerly, not even bothering to look at the paper he just gave her, so he continued talking. “Kids can take 1 hour walks outside daily, adults can exercise outside daily too, most industries will go back to work next Monday and reunions of 2 to 5 people are allowed inside one’s home, as long as you don’t move outside of your own neighborhood” he finished smiling.

When he was done talking, she took a couple of steps toward him. That made Fitz gulp almost audibly; she made him feel as if he was sixteen and achingly shy all over again.

“I’ve got the same paper printed in my bag. I even highlighted the part about reunions” she said, so close now that Fitz could almost feel her body heat.

He lifted his left hand to pull her even closer, but she took a step back.

“However, … It says nothing about gestures of affection” she added mischievously.

Fitz suspected she was just teasing him, but he’d been prepared for all inconveniencies.

“You’re right. That’s why I went to the clinic a couple of days ago, explained my situation last month and got tested”, he said handing her the second document he’d been holding, “And I tested negative, so I’m perfectly healthy”.

When she finished reading the results, she looked at him unexpectedly serious.

“But they told you what you experienced last month was indeed the new respiratory virus, right?”

“Yes, they did. But they also said I’m not contagious anymore?” he answered confused.

“No, but you should have listened to me and let me call an ambulance to be treated properly at the hospital”

When she finished talking, she closed the distance between them tugging him down by his shirt’s collar and joined their lips in a passionate kiss. And when Fitz’s brain began to work properly again, he put his arms around her waist and pushed her against him, earning him a soft moan. Her lips were soft and welcoming as they parted to allow his tongue to slip inside; and having her in his arms made him feel as alive as he had ever felt.

“Next time”, she said when he diverted his attention to the space between her jaw and neck, “you’ll listen to me”.

Fitz made an affirmative sound so that he wouldn’t have to stop kissing her, and hoped it was enough. When Jemma started walking backwards, dragging him with her, he had to tease her back.

“Shouldn’t you disinfect yourself before you invite me in?”

She kissed him again and then smiled, watching him with something like anticipation in her eyes.

“Sure. I’m heading to the shower right now”

And with that she turned around and entered her apartment, leaving behind an open door, a stunned engineer and two sheets of paper on the floor.

A second later, he heard her again.

“Fitz, that was an invitation!”

And he did not need to be told twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand finished! I hope I gave you a proper happy ending.  
> I tried to make justice to what I think our health professionals could be feeling right now, and I hope I did it well enough.
> 
> And honestly... would they be Fitzsimmons if they didn't have any traumas and insecurities?
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! And please, leave a comment if you have the time, they feed my soul!! 
> 
> Stay home and stay safe everyone!!!


End file.
